Hydraulic power device



March 22, 1932. w. M. WATSON 1,850,820

HYDRAULIC POWER DEVICE Filed June 15, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY March 22, 1932.

w. M. WATSON HYDRAULIC Poivsa mavrcs Filed June 15. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 22; 1932 P ATYEZNT ounce WILLIAM MARK-WATSON,- or sun CLOUD, FLORIDA HYDRAULIC v:PowEn nnvrcn Application filed June 15,

.The invention-relates to empower device of the hydraulic type and more particularly to a turbine rotor or water wheel type of such device.

- The primary object of the invention is the provisionof a power device of this character,

wherein the turbine rotor or water wheel is submerged, preferably within a vertical casing such asja penstock and at the bottom thereof whereby the weight of the descending water 'admitted to the upper endof theipen stock augments the effect of the flow ofthe water against theirotor or wheelwith resul- 'tant maximum of power obtainable from a minimum supply of water. p Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of this characterywherein the water is directed against equal arcs of the periphery of the rotor, or wheel in; the manner that itswpressure :is equalized to give per fect balance to the rotor or wheel throughout a its continued rotative movement, as .a consequence of which perfect balance is obtained and friction practically eliminated from the "movingpartsoftheturbine.

A further object of the invention isthe provision of a device ofthis character whereln the pe'nstock above the casing for the rotor or wheelwill be supplied with an appreciable entirepenstock above the casing and which acts to greatly increase thepressure of the descending water and to concentrate the same 1 directly at theiperipheral intakes of thea'sing, thesebeing symmetrically; arranged about the' rotor or wheel periphery to effect the perfect balance thereof;

A further object of them vision of a device of this character wherein or more revolubleplanes and'is connected with the rotor orwheel shaft at the mean level of the water as it enters the upper end 'of water supply and which will bear the weight of the shaft, and the rotor or wheel on the surface ofthe' water and acts on the latter when rotating withrthe shaft to effect an appreciable liftingefi'ort onthe shaft to further reduce and minimize possible power amount of water asmay be requiredto fill the r vention is the promeans iseinployed'havingithe form ofroner of thepenstockfrom the sluice or other source iesn Serial n; 544,657.

loss due to friction between the moving and V stationary parts of the turbine.

, A- still further object of the invention is the provision of'a device of thischa'racter which is comparatively simple in construction, thoroughly reliableandeificient in'its operation.

assuring maximum' driving; power with a bodiment thereof: v Figure 2 is a sectional view on-the line 2 2 of"Figure-l.- Y m v Figure 3 is a sectional View on the line 33 of Figure 1- looking in the direction of the arrow."@- i Figure 4t is a sectional View onthe lineH of Figure? p Similar'reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings;

v Referring-to the drawings in detail, the device comprises a penstockl 10 preferably in the form of a cylinder although it may be otherwise shaped and may be constructed from. any suitable material, as for instance, heavycast or steel metal. Whenconstructed of metalitinaybe made in'twoor more sec- I tions suitably secured together by means of nuts carrying bolts 11 to provide watertight joints between such sections; V

' "Located interior'of'thepenstock 10 at an f elevation from-the bottom thereof is a casing 12 preferably of cylindrical form and pro; vides a casing or housing for a turbine rotor or water wheel 13 and this casing is ofslightly less'diameter than the interior diameter of the 'penstockso as to provide an annular space labout the casing 12 between it and the wall of the penstock 10. The rotor 13 is preferably bladed to form impact faces 15 disposed radially to its axis of rotation so that the water operates directly against the faces 15 and consequently in a plane parallel or substantially parallel to the first of the faces to be acted upon so that the water forces or strikes against the'faces 15 withma-ximum pressure and without shock.

The peripheral wall of the casing 12 is formed to provide any number of intake ports or openings 16, two of such ports or openings being illustrated by way of example in the present instance. These intake ports or openings 16 are to be equi-distantly spaced apart or diametrically opposite of the casing 12 and are formed by cut out portions 17 of the peripheral wall of said casing and which portions are preferably bent outwardly with their outer edges in contacting relation to the wall of the penstock 10 in a manner to form vanes acting to direct the inflow of water inwardly of the casing'12 and against the rotor 13 as hereinbefore explained. 1

The bottom 18 of the casing 12 is provided with exhaust ports 19, onev complemental to each of the intake ports 16 and disposed immediately in advance of'the next succeeding intake port whereby with the two intake ports 16 as shown in the drawings, water entering these is effective for nearly one-half of the peripheral travel of the rotor or wheel 13 before being discharged outwardly of the exhaust ports 19. I c 4 A vertical shaft 20is disposed axially and centrally of the penstock 10 and has its opposite ends projected through the bottom 18 of thecasing and the top 21 of the penstock. This shaft is passed axially centrally through the casing 12 and the turbine wheel 13, the latter being keyed at 22 to said shaft for rotation therewith. Rising from the topof the casng 12 and surrounding the shaft 22 is a tubular collar or stem 23 which has its upper end terminating in a plane above the highest level of the water to be admitted to the penstock 10 so that the shaft 22 is not in contact with the water and hence any seepage of the latter downwardly about the shaft is prevented. Also rising from the top of the casing 12 is a substantially conical-shaped element 24 preferably of hollow formation having the outer periphery ofits larger end disposed flush with the outer peripheral wall of the casing 12 and by which arrangement the flow of water through the penstock 10 is entirely free from obstruction. The upper smaller end of the element 24 is engaged about the tubular member or stem 23 at a point immediately below its upperend.

Leading into the penstock 10 for the admission of water to the upper portion thereof through an opening 25 in the side wall thereof is a sluice or raceway 26, the latter being equipped with a gate valve or other controlling device 27 so that the inflow of water from the sluice or raceway to the penstock 10 can be readily controlled or regulated, the gate valve or other device 27 being manually operated from a hand turning wheel 28 accessible to the user ofthe device. Keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 26 immediately above the upper end of the tubular column or stem 23 is the hub 29 of a blade carrier 30 to the under side of which are secured blades 31 which when rotated with the shaft 22 are arranged to operate on the water surface filling the penstock to the level of the inlet 25 in a manner to efi'ect a lifting action on said shaft 22 and the turbine rotor or wheel 13. The blades 31 are sheared substantially radially at points slightly offset one from the other diametrically thereof to form oppositely disposed flat portions which together constitute the plane of the device. The forward or leading edges 32 of the sheared portions of the blade 31 are curved slightly in an upward direction so that the inrush of water from the opening 25 willact against the inner or controlling sides of these curved portions and be deflected downwardly ofthe penstock 10andits pressure will be exerted downward and against the flat under surfaces of theblades 31 to facilitate the sustaining of the weight of the shaft 22 and the rotor or wheel 13 carried thereby. Thearms of the carrier 30 are angularly bent or curved so as to sustain the plane or blades 31 substantially in the level of the surface of the water whenthe penstock is filled.

The blades 31 are preferably of a very slightly less diameter than that of the interior diameter of the penstock-10,.so as to have a maximum area of contact with the surface water therein.

, Power is to be transmitted from either end of theshaft 22 in any suitable manner, as

for example, through the medium of a bevel ed gear 33 keyed on either projecting end of the shaft and this gear 33 meshes with a gear 34 on a power transmitting shaft 35 suitably hung or journaled for operation and from this shaft power is taken from the device. I I

Again with reference to the blades 31 at the upper portion of the penstock 10 which operate upon the water with a lifting force so as to relieve any end thrust of the shaft 20 and also the water wheel or rotor 13 at the bottom of the penstock which operates in its casing and also'constitute blades, these should be set at a pitch a little above that required by the discharge of water from the raceway 26 and also from the casing for the water wheel, thus making and causing an anti-friction hearing which also by its operation adds its weight to the force of water downward causing a certain amount of power. The water by such action is forced forward on the wheel.

It is to be understood that the blades 31 do not at theirimpact side lie flat upon the Water surface.

It isthe purpose of thisinventionto receive all possible power from the water'and' inset bottom and a closed top, asluice trough opening into the penstock near the closed top thereof, a shaft journaled centrally of the penstock in the bottom and top thereof, pinions on the shaft outside of the bottom and s top, countershafts journaled at right angles to said first named shaft and having gears meshing With the pinions, a Water Wheel Within the penstock and fixed to the shaft to be disposed next to the bottom, a housing within the penstock for the Water wheel and of .slightly'less diameter than the interior diameter of the penstock and having tangentially disposed intakeports diametrically opposite each other, a tubular column rising central-' ly from the housing about the. firstnamed shaft and terminating at its upper end ina I plane abovethe highest level of Water to be admitted to; the penstock, a conical element embracing the column for a'maj orportion of 1 its length and superimposed upon the housing, a hub keyed .to the shaftnext to the i of the surface of the water of the penstock' upper end "of the column and having a blade carrier, and radially sheared blades on the v carrier and slightly offset, one from the other diametrically thereof toform oppositely disposed fiat portions and'having'theleading edges of the shears curved slightly in antup- Ward direction, the carrier being slightly bent to sustain the blades substantially in the level when filled. I

In testimony'whereof I aifiximy signature.

hi WILLIAM MARK XZWATSONQ 

